1969 Gallup/Newsweek Poll of Black Americans

Conducted nearly five years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, this Gallup/Newsweek Poll of black Americans asks a broad range of questions on topics from police brutality to the Vietnam War to Martin Luther King’s assassination. Racial topics include the problems faced by black Americans, racial equality, interactions with white people, and personal involvement in protests. There are also several black culture questions about hair and clothing styles, whether or not black Americans have a “special spirit or soul,” and preferred racial identity terms. This survey provides an important historic perspective on issues that are still relevant today.